January 15-22, 2015 SD road trip and friends

Thursday:  I’m always thankful when I have an uneventful flight.  I returned to SD to attend the annual Ski for Light event in the Black Hills.  It is a winter sports event for visually and physically impaired people.  But I went a week early to be able to attend my sister and brother-in-law’s retirement party in Aberdeen, SD.   I stayed with the Perdue’s while I was in Rapid.  They are on the Ski for Light board and Tracy is on the BH community theater board which was having it’s annual fundraising dinner theater that night and 2 more nights.  So I spent the evening with her sister, Tami Petersen, who is also a good friend.  We had dinner at her house with husband, John, and son, Cory.  Then we attended Cory’s high school band concert.  I saw several people that I knew and had fun visiting after the concert. 

Friday morning, I met my coffee girlfriends at 6:30am at BH Bagels.  We have been having coffee after working out on Friday mornings for over 15 years.  They still meet and I occasionally call one of them during coffee on Fridays.  So it was so fun to join them, even if I hadn’t had enough sleep.

After coffee, I met Toni Moore to ride 6 hours to Aberdeen.  Toni is Jim Moore’s sister and lives in Sturgis, SD.  Jim is married to my sister, Janice. 

We had a great dinner of homemade pizzas at the Moore’s.  I decided on the way to Aberdeen that I wanted to make some homemade Kahlua to take to Ski for Light.  I have been doing that for many years, and we call it a Fluoride treatment.  Well, we ended up making 4 GALLONS to share between me, Janice, Toni and her sister, Margaret.   That was crazy, but fun.  Toni has a blog for their family of recipes.  She had "Dr Roth's Fluoride treatment" in the blog.  Margaret had never looked at the recipe because she didn't think she needed to make fluoride for home :)

4 + gallons of Kahlua with the vodka and vanilla bottles.  Toni, Margaret, Me and Janice

My niece, Heidi lives in Aberdeen with her husband, Glen, and 2 kids, Garrett age 9, and Claire age 7.  Their grandpa, my brother, Don, was visiting.  So I met them Saturday morning to watch them both play basketball.  What a treat. 

Garrett in red guarding

Claire in pink socks making a basket

The retirement party was at the AmericInn in Aberdeen.  So after the ball games and lunch at McDonald’s, we went to the hotel, checked in early and went swimming.  Mom and Grandma were out of town and dad was working.  So Grandpa and I got to play. 

The party started at 5:00 and went until about 12:00.  Janice and Jim provided brisket, pulled pork, salads, beans, chips, desserts, and snacks.  There were about 150 people there.  Amazing to see that many people in the middle of the winter in South Dakota.  I had a nice time seeing family, reacquainting with several of their friends, but most of all playing with Garrett and Claire whenever they were bored and wanted to tour the hotel or go to my room to call their Crazy Uncle Dave.  Oh, and Garrett showed me a couple of functions on my iphone that I didn't know about :)

Jim and Janice Moore

Most family we could find together at one time: Jim Moore, Gail and Joe Zeller, Janice Moore, Don Zeller, Mary Roth, Clair and Garrett Crawford in front

Toni and I left late Sunday morning.  When we arrived in Rapid City, my friend, Cheryl, picked me up on the interstate in Rapid City so Toni could continue on to Sturgis.  Cheryl and I watched the football playoffs (bummed about the Packers, but what a game) and played cribbage and caught up on each others lives. 

Monday through Thursday was spent helping Tracy with Ski for Light preparation or running errand for her, meals with friends and Pete, and dental appointment at my old office.  I also went to the Black Hills Beauty College to have our friend, Morgan Killion, color my hair.   Her parents are the people we visit in Cape Coral, FL. 

Me and Morgan

I always like to hear my son, Pete, sing when I am in town.  This week he had 6 gigs in 4 days and I planned to make 4-6 of those.  Made it to Wobbly Bobby’s for Wednesday happy hour and to Paddy O’Neill’s on Thursday night.